What is a Baby/Infant Bedtime Routine?
A baby’s bedtime routine is a consistent set of habits/activities that are repeated daily for the baby before their bedtime. A good routine includes bath/massage, nursing, play and early bedtime.
If you are creating a bedtime routine for the first time, read further into this post on starting a bedtime routine for newborn or 3 month, to 5 months, to 6 month old baby.
Why a Bedtime Routine is Important for your Infant/Newborn?
There are many benefits of having a bedtime routine for your baby. A bedtime routine is important for your baby by helping prepare them for sleep. The bedtime routine activities relax and wind down the baby for a peaceful restful night.
Without an effective bedtime routine, your baby may not be in bed in time or sleep much throughout the night, which affects the quality of sleep that both of you get. The predictability of the routine also gives your child a sense of security and assists them to fall into sleep independently with time. This is a crucial benefit of starting a bedtime routine if you don’t have one to allow your baby to have adequate and quality sleep.
When to Start a Bedtime Time Routine for Your Baby/Infant?
You can start your baby on a bedtime routine as early as when they are an infant. It’s never too early to start a bedtime routine. While most moms introduce their babies to a bedtime routine when they are a bit older, the earlier you start your baby on a bedtime routine the better.
Therefore if you have never had a bedtime routine before, then you are right to start as early as now for your newborn. This is especially so if you are a working mom and need as much time as possible in the evening to rest and do self-care.
However, the routine and the activities will change and adjust as the infant grows into an older baby.
Simple Proven Guide on How to Start a Bedtime Routine for Newborn/3-Month
1. Start off with a Bath & Massage
Bathing is an important part of any baby’s bedtime routine. If you have never had a bedtime routine before for your infant, then this is one of the best things to start off with. A bath followed by a massage relaxes your baby hence needs to be part of the new bedtime routine.
Massage is especially important for newborns and infants under 3 or 6 months as they are not moving much on their own yet. A bath and a massage are truly soothing as it cools the baby’s body temperature and helps them fall asleep more easily.
However if you do bath time after feeding, it is important to let the tummy settle first.
Read: How to Create a Simple and Effective Evening Routine for Infants/Toddlers
2. Incorporate Nursing/Feeding Time
If you have never had a bedtime routine before for your child, then you need to have feeding/nursing as among the first things in your new routine. As you start a new bedtime routine, you may opt to feed your baby after bathing or before bathing them.
Nonetheless, your baby will not be able to have a good and quality night sleep when they are hungry hence important to have feeding as part of your new infant routine or babies under 6 or 3 months old.
Also as you start a new baby bedtime routine, ensure that they are well fed before sleep as it reduces the amount of feeding/nursing time your baby will need during the night. Also ensure the baby is properly burped.
Do a tummy massage and bicycle legs to deal with any tummy discomfort and encourage a bowel movement. It is very important to do this to infants or babies under 6 or 3 months old.
Read: Why you Should not Allow your Baby to Bed without Dinner
3. Play/Bonding Time is Important in your Infant Bedtime Routine
Play is one the key things you need to include in your bedtime routine for your newborn as you start. If you have never had a bedtime routine before for your baby, you can set the time right before bed as it is a good time for you to play and bond with your baby.
Also play can be a tradition between you and your baby that prepares them for sleep. It can be you singing some baby songs to them or playing some baby games or reading out a book to them (even though they won’t understand it yet). Do not prolong this period for too long.
A nice dark, unstimulating environment should help your baby go to sleep after this. All this are necessary in your new routine.
4. Set an Early Bedtime for your Baby
If you have never practiced a bedtime routine before, you need to understand the benefits of putting your baby to bed early. Through an early bedtime, your baby resists less, wakes less often during the night, and is generally easier to get along with the following day.
Therefore consider adjusting your baby’s bedtime if they are currently sleeping late as part of your new bedtime routine. For infants and babies under 3 or 6 months, the recommended bedtime is before 7 pm.
You may choose a later sleeping time for your own reasons or what works for your baby. However ensure that your new bedtime routine has the appropriate bedtime for your baby. However remember the longer you keep them up during the night, the more overwhelming it is for you as a working mom.
Tips for Introducing your Newborn to a New Bedtime Routine
- Start the bedtime about 1 hour before the intended bedtime. It is very important in the first few days of starting the bed-time routine.
- Have a wake-up time every day to help your baby adjust to the routine. It’ll help you establish a night sleep routine in the long run.
- Be consistent- Try doing some things around the same time every day. This is important especially because you are introducing your infant to a routine. Once your baby is fully introduced to the routine, it becomes a relaxing and enjoyable time for you and your child.
- Ensure warm and cozy bedtime dressing. It ensures that your babies easily adjust to the new routine as it is being introduced. If too cold or hot the baby may not sleep well.
- Be moderate on moving bedtime up. Be mindful of this on the first few days of the routine to ensure easy transition into the routine for the baby. Pick on baby cues and focus on your child’s tired/sleepy signals to help effectively introduce the routine.
- Try controlled crying for sleep training to help the baby adjust to the new routine smoothly. If they cry , go in and comfort them, each time you come back wait longer until they go to sleep.
- Help them correctly identify their nights and days. During the day, keep it light, bright, and loud. At night keep it dark and quiet. It will be easier like this for the baby to follow and transition into the routine.
- Make nighttime feeding and diaper change are short, quiet, and dark as possible. Follow this to help your baby learn and get comfortable with the new bedtime routine.
- Focus on a solid routine rather than a schedule as you introduce the routine. Infants are too young to stick to a schedule. As soon as you see the tired cues switch to your wind-down bedtime routine.
- All babies are different hence learn the different aspects of your baby as you introduce them to a new bedtime routine. Eat-play-sleep may not work for all. Adjust yours accordingly by reading your baby cues.
- You have no control over your baby’s appetite and feeding frequency. Infants may wake up several times for feeding during the night. However, your new routine should help them to go right back to sleep.
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